


human nature

by howdothestarslook



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Eddie Kaspbrak Loves Frogs, Eddie Kaspbrak Loves Richie Tozier, Eddie loves frogs, Frogs, Gay Disaster Eddie Kaspbrak, Gay Eddie Kaspbrak, Gay Richie Tozier, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Misunderstandings, Not Beta Read, Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak, Sad Gay Richie Tozier
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:53:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25616188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/howdothestarslook/pseuds/howdothestarslook
Summary: Eddie loves frogs. He also happens to love Richie too.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, IF U SQUINT - Relationship, Mike Hanlon/Stanley Uris, but like if u blink u will miss it
Comments: 8
Kudos: 50





	human nature

**Author's Note:**

> This is really bad, like SUPER bad. I wrote this WAYYY too fast. n e ways
> 
> TW/ CW : descriptions of veins

Eddie loves frogs; there's no doubt in any of the losers minds about that. He'll read books about them, doodle them, and sometimes on weekends, he and Bill will search for them down near the quarry, but most of all, he _never_ stops talking about them.

Richie finds it odd at first, the way Eddie is so overwhelmed because he loves the slimy little creatures so much. It doesn't seem like Eddie's thing, not even once has he said: "do you know how many germs those things have on them?!" and that alone confuses Richie. Richie doesn't dare make a joke about how it's strange or weird though, for once Richie appreciates how much Eddie knows and loves something saying "aren't toad and frogs the same thing?!" even though Richie already knows they definitely aren't the same. He relishes in it when Eddie goes on a nearly 10-minute rant to him about "No, there are differences Richie! Toads and frogs aren't the same!" listing all of their differences and similarities.

The weekends when he and Bill go searching for them are very clearly Eddie's favourite weekends by a long shot. Don't get him wrong he loves hanging out with the losers more than anything in the world but, there's something about searching and sometimes finding the things that he loves, that is so exciting. The other losers understand it's like Stan with his birds when Mike goes birdwatching with him it makes him so happy. It's precious that they'll indulge in what the other loves to make them so full of joy. When they do find a little frog, Eddie is always so gentle with them. They hardly touch them in fact, Eddie taking a photo of them on the old polaroid camera inherited from his dad instead. On the days when they're back at school, Eddie will show the rest of the losers club all his photos naming each of the frog's differently. On rare occasion, he'll even let Richie give one a name. Eddie keeps it a secret, but, honestly, he only would let Richie name his favourites. The rare ones. Like when they found a northern leopard frog, and Eddie was so excited.

Eventually, it reaches Eddie's birthday, they know that they don't typically do presents but still, of course, Richie goes out of his way to find whatever he can that has frogs on it. And it isn't so long until he finds something that he hopes Eddie will love. So, on Eddie's birthday, while both of them are hidden away alone in the den than Ben so kindly made for them, he tells Eddie "I know presents aren't a thing we do, but I just got you something small!" and Eddie looks up at him with those big stupid beautiful eyes and barely mutters "oh! Thanks, Rich'! you know you didn't have to idiot!"

"I hope you like it." and Richie smiles at him, pushing his glasses up before he pulls his backpack up onto the hammock they can both barely fit in together. Eddie's present happens to be a green froggy bucket hat and, Eddie loves it. As a matter of fact, Richie's sure that for a moment he sees Eddie crying a little bit before he jumps into Richie's lap for a hug. God if Richie's heart wasn't seconds away from beating so fast it gave out before now it sure as hell did when Eddie pushed his face into his neck, his arms around Richie's waist. And Richie didn't dare to think about it before putting his arms around Eddie's neck. "I love it! Thank you, Richie!" pressing a kiss to Richie's cheek. Eddie doesn't waste even a minute escaping and, by time Richie's brain has started working again, Eddie's gone.

They see each other at school, Eddie wears the hat nearly every day, not that they mention it because he can't get Eddie to talk to him, at all. Worse than that, he can hardly get Eddie to look at him, anytime their eyes meet Eddie looks away faster than Richie can even think. He doesn't get it. Is Eddie truly that ashamed of being associated with him? What was every year from 3rd Grade to 10th about if Eddie is so ashamed of him? He's sure he'd prefer to curl into a ball and cry than face another day without his spaghetti head by his side. Stan seems to catch on pretty quickly too. One day at a passing period only a few days after Eddie's birthday, Stan pulls him to the side and asks "What the fuck is up with Eddie?" and all Richie can do is shrug, if he does anything more he's not sure he'll be able to stop crying for the rest of his life. Richie can only hope that Stan isn't going to stand for that the way Stan never does. The way he takes actions instead of wishing it away like both Richie and Eddie so clearly do. How he's calculated and smart in a thousand more ways than Richie will ever know.

And, it's only an hour later when Eddie is passing him a folded post-it note with his name scrawled in none other than Eddie's neat penmanship. Of course, Richie knows it he could point it out a million miles away. When he unfolds it, there's a tiny doodled frog in pencil with flowers and a speech bubble that reads 'meet me at lunch next to my locker!' he shoves it in his pocket and smiles at Eddie. Eddie mouths "fuck you!" and Richie might've felt threatened if it weren't for the smile on Eddie's mouth.

When the lunch bell rings Richie dawdles as if he has nowhere in the world to be, only knowing it'll piss Eddie off further. He's not sure why he does it, but he does. And, as he finally reaches Eddie's locker, Eddie is as expected, pissed off. "What the fuck dude! I've been waiting like 10 minutes for you!" It's a funny oxymoron, how Eddie is so pissed at him while in his cute little hat and polo shirt and- God he's so in love with this boy. "uh yeah, sorry" is all Richie says though, it's funny in a weird type of way. A way that is Richie waiting, all week, for Eddie and Eddie gets pissed at him. If Richie didn't care so much, he supposes maybe he'd be pissed too. He doesn't let himself think too long about it though, it'll only break his heart plus Eddie starts talking again, and then he doesn't need to.

"Anyways, I just wanted to tell you, like, I know it's stupid but, I've been thinking and maybe-" Never in Richie's whole life has he seen Eddie scared to tell him something, not since well, never. So, Richie does all he knows and starts making stupid fucking jokes. "What? you don't wanna be friends or something?" He laughs at his own words, knowing they're ridiculous and when Eddie doesn't laugh too, he's sure he's seconds away from tears.

"I guess you could say that..uh-"

"What...No! What the fuck! What the fuck! Eddie please!" And then he does cry, right in the middle of the hallway, right in front of Eddie. There's no way this is happening. There's no way in hell. "Richie...listen to me please!" Eddie's voice is pleading and, if anything could cut Richie open and melt his heart, it's that voice. It's like pressing warm hands to his cold face when the heat drops to sublevels in the winter months. When Eddie always has a spare pair of gloves for Richie because 'Richie, you're going to get sick!' but he supposes now, he'll have to get sick if Eddie doesn't want to be friends. "What do you want? To fucking pull me to pieces? Cause you've done a good fucking job! congrats!" Richie's voice is nothing if not full of pain, how, why, what the even fuck? They're all questions he has for the universe. And the evil man who is god if he so blindly exists. 

"I wanna be your boyfriend okay? I don't want to be friends cause I want more, I want to kiss you and hold your hand and, you make me so feel so okay, I feel like everything with you." Richie is silent he's not sure he has any words left. The dictionary inside his brain has been lit on fire by his heart. His veins are alight too, moving through his bones like a forest caught by a storm. His love for Eddie is like sand in his shoe he can't rid himself of his love for Eddie no matter how desperately he tries. But, what does it matter, why would he need to when Eddie is there pouring more sand into his shoes, pouring more love into Richie's sad little heart. "come here, please..." is all Richie says opening his arms, he loves Eddie with all that he is, what more can he do. Eddie falls into his arms, and he has been more thankful for physical affection, for the firecracker that is Eddie Kaspbrak. He kisses the top of Eddie's head and whispers "I love you." that's all he knows how to. That's all he needs to. Maybe he loves Eddie more than life, or even more than that, maybe Eddie loves him more than frogs. It sounds stupid, but it means the whole world to Richie.


End file.
